The Portuguese Secretary of State for Internationalization, Bernardo Ivo Cruz, revealed that there are investors in Texas interested in a business opportunity in Portugal.
In statements to the Portuguese news agency Lusa, the Secretary of State for Internationalization, Bernardo Ivo Cruz – after his first official visit to the United States that took place during this month of March – stressed that in the context of meetings in Texas with potential investors, these “are very interested in Portugal, not only for what it has to offer, but also for Portugal as a business platform for Europe and Portuguese-speaking countries”.
On the other hand, the official commented that the opposite is also true, and in his own voice “there are good opportunities for Portuguese companies in Texas”. Texas is one of the 50 states that make up the United States of America, and if it were independent, it would be the ninth largest economy in the world.
On his first visit to the United States of America, the Secretary of State for Internationalization was in Houston after visiting Austin, where AICEP – Agency for Investment and Foreign Trade of Portugal had, for the first time, a space at the great event of the creative industries in South by Southwest (SXSW).
Bernardo Ivo Cruz explained the purpose of this trip: “to establish a set of contacts with various sectors of Texas that are of interest to the Portuguese economy and companies and which, in turn, are interested in Portugal and the Portuguese economy”, adding that “the contacts that we established were very interesting and with potential, namely in the areas of information technology, cinema and television”.
In Houston, the city with the highest population density in Texas and the 4th in the United States, the Portuguese official visited Rice University, which has a recognized center for technological development, and also the Texas Medical Center, considered the largest center for applied scientific research to world medicine.
“They are very interested in some Portuguese companies and in our universities, in our research centers and foundations”, highlighted the Secretary of State
Relations between Portugal and the United States of America are historical and encompass different valences. At the end of 2022, the House of Representatives of the United States of America approved – at the end of 2022 – the Amigo Act (Advancing Mutual Interests and Growing Our Success Act), integrated into the Defense Authorization Act National. In practical terms, the legislation allows Portugal to invest in the United States in a simplified way through the issuance of E-1 visas (intended for trade) and E-2 (for investors and entrepreneurs). Amigo ACT reinforced the close connection between the two countries and boosted immigration (AMIGO ACT – Portugal and the United States)
It should be remembered that Portugal has had great prominence in the United States of America, not only in terms of investment or flexibility of immigration policies, such as, for example, the Amigo Act, but in other areas, namely the fact that it was elected by the 2023 Annual Global Retirement Index, as the best country in the world to live in after retirement (Portugal is the best country in the world to live in after retirement)
It is also growing the number of properties, in Portugal, for purchase or lease by US citizens (Real Estate: The demand for houses to buy and rent by foreigners living in Portugal grows).
We can also add that the Portuguese passport allows visa-free entry into 187 countries, with Portugal occupying a prominent role according to the Henley Passport Index (The most powerful passport in the world in 2023)
